


Sorrow

by PontiusHermes



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Autistic Newt Scamander, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Healing, Original Percival Graves Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Post-Movie 1: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Sweet, non-romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 03:42:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9053815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PontiusHermes/pseuds/PontiusHermes
Summary: Original Percival Graves and Newt Scamander meet for the first time. Set post-Fantastic Beasts.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The title is inspired by lyrics of the song 'Sunshine on Leith' by The Proclaimers.  
> Please enjoy!  
> Hermes

Following Newt Scamander’s salvation of the Statute of Secrecy, Madame Picquery had seen fit to set him up in a Wizard-run inn whilst he mourned his losses. It was there that Percival Graves – the actual Percival Graves – first saw the young man. He had knocked softly on the door, and when no response was offered, he had tried the door handle. Although a slight flick of his wand could have bypassed an engaged lock, he wasn’t going to force entry to anybody’s room. But the handle had turned, and he had opened the door gently.

 

Newt was sitting on the bed, hunched forward with his hands over his face, and Graves was alarmed to see that he was crying. He slowly extended a hand to touch the younger man’s coat sleeve. Newt gave a yelp and leapt in alarm, then shuffled himself away, cowering warily. Graves’ eyes flashed with contained alarm. He retreated half a pace, and bared his hands in a placating gesture.

‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,’ he murmured, holding Newt in a steady gaze. Newt rubbed the tears from his eyes and breathed deeply in attempt to collect himself. He then extended a trembling hand, which Graves gently shook.

‘Mr Scamander? I’m Percival Graves.’

Newt sniffed and wiped his eyes again. ‘I know. We’ve met.’

‘No,’ Graves said softly, ‘No, we haven’t.’ Newt’s eyes widened, and he seemed about to speak, but stopped himself. He sat for several seconds, trying to work out what he could say that would fix his mistake, then buried his face in his hands in defeat.

 

Graves stood by patiently. ‘Mr Scamander? It’s OK. Don’t worry about it.’ He reached out and rubbed Newt’s back firmly. Newt accepted it, and even nestled closer. Graves’ heart was still pounding and his hands shaking from his recent shock. Upon noticing this, Newt took Graves’ free hand and examined it quietly.

‘I’m sorry for scaring you,’ he offered when he was finished.

Graves waved his apology away, ‘It’s not just you. Grindelwald… I experienced the Cruciatus Curse many times while he held me.’ Newt squeezed the hand in reassurance.

‘I won’t hurt you,’ he soothed, ‘I’ve never done the Cruciatus Curse on anybody. I don’t think I could, even if I really hated them. They’d still be all curled up on the ground. Screaming, writhing, shaking, wishing it would stop. I couldn’t make that happen to anybody.’ When he looked over at Graves, the older man’s eyes were closed, and he seemed sickened.

 

After a few seconds, during which Newt observed his companion with near-panic, Graves requested quietly that Newt don’t discuss that at the moment. Newt hastily agreed, and gave him a tentative hug in apology.

 

There was, as Graves reflected, something refreshingly simple about Newt Scamander. Not simple in an idiotic or ignorant way, just an impression that, although they both lived in the same world, Newt’s version was somehow uncomplicated. A hug from Newt was a genuine expression of affection, not some kind of awkwardly forced ritual dictated by relationship or situation. Maybe that was why Graves, usually so reserved, found himself oddly comforted, and even enjoying the contact.

 

‘Do you want to talk,’ Graves enquired at length.

‘What about?’

‘Whatever you feel like,’ he replied, slightly amused.

So Newt talked. He told Graves about Jacob, the Muggle who’d been his friend – a friend! – for a couple of days, but who had been Obliviated by the magical rain. Frank, the thunderbird and friend whom he had intended to release in Arizona, but whom he had had to let fly away in New York City, which was very far away from Arizona. When he finally got to the subject of Credence he was crying again.

‘I knew him, too,’ Graves said softly when he was finished, ‘Before the whole Grindelwald business. He must have thought it was me doing all those things to him. He-’ Graves swallowed, unable to continue. Newt petted him gently on the head, in the same way that he would have petted Frank, or Dougal, and Graves smiled in spite of his grief. They sat in silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Comments are always appreciated.  
> Hermes


End file.
